The Reason for Mistletoe
by luna-magic-2005
Summary: A clumsy confession, a broken heart, and a small sprig of holly leads to Sesshoumaru getting everything he wants for Christmas... A holiday romance written for Smortz!


Standard disclaimer applies. I do not own Inuyasha.

This was written for Smortz, for the Dokuga Holiday Exchange! I hope you like it, Smo!

Happy Holidays!

…

Author: Luna

Title: The Meaning of Mistletoe

Rating: K

Gift for: Smortz

Prompts used: Stockings, Chimney, and Reindeer

(I only had to use one, but I thought, 'What the heck?', and used all three. ^_^)

…

The Meaning of Mistletoe

By: Luna

…

"Kagome!"

Turning at the sound of her name, Kagome beamed when she met the eyes of her neighbor and friend, Inuyasha. Standing to his right was his older brother, Sesshoumaru. Coming face-to-face with her crush caused Kagome to blush, and she averted her face as she waited for the two brothers to catch up with her.

Two years before, Kagome's grandfather passed away, and her mother ended up remarrying a millionaire, and they moved out of the shrine Kagome grew up in, and moved into a country town and lived in his mansion. There was a private senior high school for rich kids, which is where Kagome ended up going to. It was only after the first miserable week of school did Kagome bump into her new neighbors on the way to school, and for whatever reason Inuyasha wanted to be friends.

His brother Sesshoumaru was nothing like the outgoing Inuyasha; stoic, and quiet enough to give the impression of being cold. When Kagome first met him she had been intimidated, but after a while she learned it was just a front… sort of. Sesshoumaru _was_ cold, standoffish, and didn't exactly have a whole lot of friends since he scared everyone away. But… he had always been kind to her – in his own way.

Two years had passed since they met, and Kagome and Inuyasha were in their second year of high school, while Sesshoumaru was their sempai, since he was a third year. They _always_ walked to school together… she didn't know why she thought she'd be able to sneak past them, especially since she had to walk past their house on the way to school. Kagome had been hoping to avoid them; if she ran away now, she'd only make them mad.

It happened a couple of weeks ago. Every time Sesshoumaru's hand would brush against hers, or their shoulders would brush, or he'd reach out and tug on a lock of her hair like he always did, Kagome would get the strangest sensation. Her heart would start beating really fast, and suddenly she'd feel _nervous_ – nervous around a friend she'd known for years.

She realized her problem when she talked to her friend Sango; other friends had seemed oblivious, but after a couple of days she pulled Kagome aside and asked what was wrong. Kagome remembered the conversation vividly.

Sango was captain of the judo club; she pulled her inside the dojo where she knew they'd have some privacy. "What's wrong, Kagome? You've been acting really strange lately, and you always seem flushed. Are you sick? Do you have a fever?"

"No…" Kagome covered her face with her hands, feeling utterly miserable and completely confused. She didn't understand her reactions to Sesshoumaru, one of her closest friends. She had known him for years! Why were her feelings suddenly changing?

"Then what's wrong?" Sango asked worriedly, her brown eyes soft with concern.

"I don't know!" Kagome confessed, her cheeks heating at just the thought of her embarrassing reactions to Sesshoumaru. "I just… feel weird whenever I'm around Sesshoumaru! I can't even look at him anymore!"

Sango blinked, and after a moment her whole face flushed, and she let out an embarrassed laugh. "Geez, Kagome, you sound like you're in love!"

Kagome's breath caught in her throat, and she stared unseeing at the walls of the club. In… love? With Sesshoumaru? "But… that can't be…"

Tilting her head to the side, Sango studied her friend for a moment, smiling a little. "I don't see why not. You're one of the prettiest girls in school, you're at the top of your class, and you're popular to boot. You're around those Taisho brothers constantly… honestly; I'm surprised you didn't fall for one them sooner."

"But…" Kagome's hands twisted together. "We've been friends for a couple of years by now, but I've never felt like this before, for either of them. Why now? It doesn't make sense."

"You're so naïve," Sango said, laughing as she looped her arm though Kagome's as she led her out of the club. "Love doesn't make sense, silly. I mean, look at me! I'm going out with the perviest boy in school! I shouldn't like him… but I do. Don't try to fight it; you'll only make yourself miserable. I think you should talk to him… you never know, he may be in love with you too!"

But Kagome didn't listen to her friend's advice, and she _did_ try to fight it. At first she tried not to sit with them at lunch since, for whatever reason, Kagome found the simple actions of Sesshoumaru eating unbearably attractive, and she was constantly catching herself staring. However, in the end, they would always find her wherever she was at, and they would still end up sitting together. Since that plan had failed, she tried taking different routes to her classes so she wouldn't have to walk with them in between classes, but since she shared almost every class with Inuyasha, that plan quickly failed as well. Her last resort had been to walk to school by herself, but she obviously couldn't succeed there, either.

"What did you think you were doing?" Inuyasha asked with a laugh. "You weren't trying to sneak to school without us, were you?"

Blushing, Kagome swiftly turned on her heel and started walking away, keeping her face lowered in an attempt to hide her cheeks. "N-no, of course not. It was a little early, and I didn't think you guys would be up yet so…"

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Nah. Icicle here gets up freakishly early every day. When he saw you walking past he dragged me out the door. Look, my shoes aren't even tied yet!"

When Inuyasha pointed to his shoes, Kagome obediently looked down and noted that, yes, his shoelaces were indeed untied. Kagome smiled a little, but looked at Inuyasha a bit confused. "Why were you guys in such a hurry, anyways? It's not as if you wouldn't see me at school."

Sesshoumaru scowled, while Inuyasha only laughed again. "I dunno. Maybe Sesshoumaru _really_ wanted to walk with you?"

Kagome blinked. "Huh? Why?"

"Stop dallying," Sesshoumaru growled, his pace increasing until he walked ahead of them by several paces. "We're going to be late for school."

"Huh? No we're not… we're actually early." Kagome looked down at her watch just in case.

Inuyasha laughed and draped an arm over her shoulder. "You know, for being one of the smartest girls in school, you sure can be oblivious!"

"What's that supposed to mean? Ack!" Kagome growled when Inuyasha ruffled her hair, sending errant curls flying all over the place. Her hair was long, black, and a little wild. It wasn't straight, but it wasn't exactly curly either, and a few errant locks had a tendency to curl whatever way they wanted to, and she usually spent at least thirty minutes every day attempting to fix it. "Dang it, Inuyasha! It look me _hours_ to do my hair!"

Inuyasha only laughed as he ran ahead to walk next to his brother. Kagome huffed, but stayed where she was, walking a few paces behind them, staring wistfully at their backs. To an outsider it looked as if the brothers hated each other; Sesshoumaru's mom divorced his father when he had been a baby, then took off and never came back. When Taisho-sama remarried, Inuyasha came along, and though it looked as if they were constantly picking on each other, they were hardly apart. Izayoi-sama said that, despite always picking on him, Sesshoumaru would always be the one to protect Inuyasha when he was bullied at the playground.

Then again, Izayoi also claimed that Inuyasha used to be a cry baby, but as Kagome stared at the back of her loud, rude, and brash friend, she couldn't see it. A long time ago, when Kagome was still getting to know them, she had asked Izayoi-sama why Sesshoumaru took to Inuyasha so quickly.

"_Hmm," Izayoi had tapped her chin thoughtfully as she smiled. "I guess… he had been lonely. Their father was always busy, and we didn't move into the house until after Sesshoumaru was already four. He only had servants for company. I'm sure, in his own way, he was very glad for Inuyasha's company."_

Kagome also couldn't picture Sesshoumaru as a lonely child. When he wasn't with either Kagome or Inuyasha, she never she caught a glimpse of him with other students; he was _always_ alone, and he seemed to prefer it that way. Other than her, he never made any attempts to make friends, and always ignored others that did approach him.

"Hey, Kagome!"

She looked up to see both brothers looking back at her, two golden pairs of eyes staring at her in confusion (although, to be honest, it was mainly Inuyasha who looked confused. Sesshoumaru's expression rarely changed.) It was only then she realized she had stopped. "Huh?"

"Hurry up!" He called. "We really will be late at this rate!"

"Sorry!" She called, running up. Like always, they parted at the same time, and she settled in her customary spot in between them. "I guess getting up early rattled my brains. I'm just being spacey."

Sesshoumaru smirked, and Inuyasha snorted. "What else is new?"

"Hmph!" Kagome elbowed him sharply in the gut as the gates of their school came into view, and as Inuyasha gasped she stomped her way to her first class, leaving a bemused Sesshoumaru and a gasping Inuyasha behind.

Kagome sat down at her desk with a huff, crossing her arms in a sulk as she stared out the window. Sesshoumaru was still outside; he was the student body president, and the secretary of the committee was pointing to a sheet of paper as he spoke. Relaxing, she rested her folded arms on her desk and continued to stare, and just barely started to daydream when the door slammed open, and Inuyasha stomped his way through.

"Dang it, Sango! You need to stop teaching Kagome your stupid karate moves!" He growled as he slammed down in his seat next to Kagome's.

Sango's desk was in front of hers, and she turned away from a group of girls she had been chatting with to scowl at Inuyasha. "It's judo, not karate. I'll teach her whatever I want to. It's not my fault you're such a wimp."

Kagome blinked, thinking it was a coincidence that Sango said that when, a few minutes ago, Kagome was remembering what Izayoi had told her. She laughed, earning a dark glare from Inuyasha.

"Keh." He muttered, still pouting. "I'm not a wimp. I'm part of the kendo club!"

"Hmph," Sango stuck her nose in the air. "You're just lucky Sesshoumaru's the captain, otherwise I doubt you would have been able to get in. You swing those boken's around like an undisciplined hooligan."

"What? That's not true!"

"Whatever!"

Kagome sat back, letting their bickering fly around her while she sat at her desk, burying her face in her arms since the mention of Sesshoumaru made her face feel too hot. Man, she was just too pathetic for words. Maybe she really was in love with Sesshoumaru…

"Hey, Kagome." Sango said, turning in her seat to ignore Inuyasha. "What are you doing for the holiday exchange?"

"Huh?" Kagome lifted her head up. "What holiday exchange?"

Sango laughed, reaching out to poke her in her forehead. "Geez, Kagome, have your forgotten that Christmas is coming? Yuka is gathering names for students who wish to participate."

Yuka was their class president. Technically Kagome should have been since she had the highest scores in the class, but she didn't want the responsibility. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi were three best friends, and Kagome occasionally hung out with them on the weekends.

"Christmas?"

"Yeah, you know. Santa Claus, Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer, stocking hung over the chimney…" At Kagome's blank expression, Sango's mouth dropped. "What? Don't tell me you forgot it was Christmas! Man, you're such a space cadet! Will you participate? I'll remind you before we exchange gifts in case you forget and have to go buy something."

She supposed it had started to get a little chilly... Just that morning Kagome was thinking about wearing a scarf and the winter jacket the school required everyone to have. Kagome sighed and leaned back in her seat. "Oh. Yeah, I guess I'll participate. It won't be that hard to pick up something."

"I hope you put a little more thought when you actually go to buy a present." Rolling her eyes, Sango said, "You know, sometimes you act just way too apathetic. You've been hanging around Sesshoumaru too long!" Sango winced when Kagome's face suddenly flushed, and she quickly asked, "What are you doing after class? You wanna do some karaoke?"

"No thanks," Kagome said, shaking her head, grateful at the change of subject. "I already have plans."

"Yeah, she's hanging out with _me_." Inuyasha said, turning suddenly in his seat, clearly having been eavesdropping. "So go away, scary girl."

"What? Inuyasha, you jerk! You guys always steal Kagome away!" Sango argued.

Inuyasha opened his mouth to retort, but when other girls suddenly started to chime in agreement, he shrank back in his seat.

Kagome smiled, letting the conversation flow through her. She couldn't deny that many considered her popular. Many of her fellow classmates often complained that she never had time to hang out since she was always with the Taisho brothers, but it was true, so Kagome couldn't really deny it. It wasn't that she didn't like the other girls, but when she knew that if she made plans to hang out with Inuyasha, then Sesshoumaru would be there…

"Everybody rise!" Yuka called out as the teacher entered, and Kagome snapped to attention.

Class had begun.

At lunch, Kagome didn't even try to hide, and went straight to the courtyard with her packed lunch. She used to receive strange looks during lunch, since the box containing all the food she made for the afternoon was kind of large. Sesshoumaru used to never eat lunch, but if she made enough for two or three, he'd eat out of her bento. She always brought extra chopsticks, since Inuyasha would try to steal things too, even though he mainly lived off of junk food. It made her feel good to provide for them; knowing that they loved her food gave her a silly sense of… belonging and happiness.

Whenever they received a new student, there would always be speculation over their closeness. It was highly unusual for three people to be so close, especially considering she didn't grow up with either of them, and she was the only girl. Sango was _her_ friend; Inuyasha may talk to her in class, but they never hung out outside of it. People were always wondering what kind of relationship she really had with them, but since it wasn't anyone's business and she wasn't doing anything wrong, she ignored the rumors.

Inuyasha had rugged good looks, and though he was rich, he spoke with the candor of a country boy. His hair was just barely long enough to be outside of school regulations, with a messy style that suited his personality. He always wore his uniform shirt un-tucked, and his tie was always loose. His family was exceedingly prominent, however, and coupled with his personality he always got away with not following the dress code.

Sesshoumaru, on the other hand, _never_ spoke as freely as Inuyasha. In fact, he rarely spoke at all. He was quiet and reserved, and his speech was always delivered in the smooth tones of an aristocrat. He also never had a hair out of place. His hair style was similar to Inuyasha's in the way his bangs were long enough to reach his brows, but the rest of it was cut short and stylishly layered, often times being brushed back by a careless hand. He always tucked his shirttails in, his tie was always proper, and he never had a wrinkle in his uniform. She could almost accuse Sesshoumaru being OCD, but she never said anything because she always thought it was admirable to have pride in one's appearance.

She didn't mind so much; rumors hardly ever fazed her, since she rarely paid attention to them. She was just how her friends described her; absent-minded, and oblivious more times than not. She didn't know why the Taisho's took to her so quickly, but she wasn't going to question her good fortune. Their relationship just _was_. She didn't have to explain that to anyone.

Sighing, she found a shady spot underneath a tree and started unpacking her bento box. When she heard someone sit next to her, her whole skin felt suddenly electrified, and she knew who it was. She offered him a pair of chopsticks without turning, then settled back next to him with her unwrapped box in her lap.

A minute passed while they both munched on the tonkatsu* sandwiches Kagome had made. A moment later she felt Sesshoumaru's hand gently touching her elbow, and she jolted at the electric shock before turning to stare at him with wide eyes. Sesshoumaru looked… concerned?

"Is there something wrong?" He asked, his usual deep voice now softened a little in worry. "You haven't been acting like yourself lately. If something's wrong, you can talk to me about it."

Sesshoumaru hardly ever spoke; him saying such a long sentence told her just how concerned he was. She turned to him, glad that her blush toned down a bit, and smiled. "It's okay, Sesshoumaru. I just have a lot on my mind."

His golden eyes, normally so expressionless, didn't seem convinced. He reached out and tugged on a lock of her wayward hair, and his lips curved in just the barest hint of a smile; one could only tell when it appeared when one was looking at his mouth as closely as she was. She blushed a little more and made herself meet his eyes. He looked like he wanted to tell her something.

"Kagome…" He started, his name rolling off his tongue. She always loved how he said it; almost like he was savoring each syllable. It was silly, but even she allowed herself the occasional fantasy.

"Murakami-san?" They both turned, and Kagome blinked at up at Hojo, who was standing a few paces away looking a little uncertain. "May I speak with you?"

Kagome blinked. "Um, sure."

A moment ticked by, and Hojo's cheeks darkened a little. "Alone?"

It took a moment for that to process, and she blinked again as she handed Sesshoumaru her bento box, then dusted her skirt off a little. "Sure. What is it?"

He shot an uncertain look at Sesshoumaru, who was glaring at him from his seat underneath the tree. "Er, could we talk in the classroom? This is important."

Sesshoumaru watched as Kagome left, completely oblivious to Hojo's awkward request. He knew she was absent-minded; she didn't understand at all that Hojo was about to confess to her. He growled low in his throat, hitting his head against the tree trunk in frustration. "Silly girl."

He had met Kagome two years ago. He had been fighting all morning with Inuyasha as they left the house to go to school, and as Inuyasha started to pick a fight by messing up Sesshoumaru's hair and rumpling his uniform, they had both froze and turned to stare at the strange girl who was staring back at them with such an open expression of delight that they were dumbfounded.

"You guys must be so close!" She had said cheerfully, clapping her hands together in delight. "It's so nice meeting such a close family!"

They had stared at her for a moment, then at each other, before Sesshoumaru shoved Inuyasha away and straightened his uniform, adjusting his tie with an embarrassed cough. He hated it when outsiders saw him looking so uncool. Stupid Inuyasha, making him lose his temper!

Inuyasha had sprawled in the dirt with an indignant, "Hey!" While Kagome bowed to them in introduction.

"Hi! My name is Higurashi… erm, Murakami Kagome. I just transferred here, and it's a pleasure to meet you!" Her smile was cheerful, but there was enough strain around the eyes to indicate she wasn't entirely happy.

"Hey, I know you!" Inuyasha had called out, picking himself out of the dirt and absently dusting his pants off. "You're that new girl in class."

"Ah, yes. I'm sorry, I don't know your names."

"I'm Inuyasha." Inuyasha had said importantly, jerking a thumb at himself. He then jerked another finger at Sesshoumaru. "This is my older brother Sesshoumaru. It doesn't show, but he's pleased to meet you too."

They had been her self-proclaimed guides as they took her on a tour around the school, completely skipping their first classes. They had been friends ever since that day, completely charmed by Kagome.

She was popular around school, but she only acknowledged it because people reminded her so often. She had long black hair that curled around her shoulders and down her slim back, and a petite body with soft, lovely curves. Her lashes were long and thick, her eyes an unusual blue, with a heart shaped face that was exceedingly lovely, and a personality to match.

For Sesshoumaru, it had been love at first sight. For someone who used to disdain such sayings, having it smack him in the face had been an eye opener. Of course, he never said anything. The more Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru learned about her, the more he was convinced that she would probably respond with an airy, "I like you, too!" if he ever confessed, and stay completely unaware of what he'd really mean.

There was no doubt that she was smart; her scores always placed her within the top eight of the school. But soon both Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru noticed how unaware and oblivious she was. She'd leave pencils, books, and sweaters in various places, because she'd set them down and then promptly forget about them. One time she even forgot about her lunch, and it was only when all three of them went on a search and found it did she even remember she had left it there to begin with. She always looked so cute to Sesshoumaru, especially when she blushed. Her absentmindedness had an almost childlike quality to it, and her honesty was refreshing.

She also never showed any interest in boys… at least not in a romantic light. Sesshoumaru never really considered girls in a romantic light either until he had met her, and at first wasn't exactly sure how to go about confessing. As soon as he got to know her, however, he knew that confessing at all would be out of the picture. They were _friends_… and he didn't want to risk scaring her and ruining their friendship if she didn't feel the same way, and for the longest time Sesshoumaru believed she never would.

But then a couple of weeks ago Sesshoumaru had absently held her hand while helping her hop across a mud puddle, and Kagome had blushed so deeply that Sesshoumaru did a double take, certain he had been seeing things.

Apparently he did, because soon after Kagome started avoiding him. Inuyasha said he was being paranoid, but Sesshoumaru didn't think so. After all, _Inuyasha_ wasn't the one she seemed to have a problem being around. Still, he listened to his brother anyways, because he didn't want to truly believe that she was really trying to avoid him.

Then one of the members of the student body members mentioned how different she was acting, and he knew he wasn't wrong. Until…

"_I wouldn't worry too much about it, Sesshoumaru-sama. She probably just has a crush on someone! Everyone knows how good of friends you guys are; she's probably just nervous about how to tell you. Maybe she thinks you won't like him? Besides, she's not the kind of person to ignore her friends after she gets a boyfriend!"_

Since Inuyasha had gotten in trouble and was being made to eat lunch in one of the detention halls, Sesshoumaru had taken the chance to finally say something to her. He wanted to give himself a chance, to let her learn his true feelings about her before she started going out with someone else. Then that idiot Hojo showed up and ruined his moment; he wasn't sure when he'd be able to get up enough courage again to tell her three simple words. "I like you," are words he's never told anyone else; he felt embarrassed at his need to say them now, even if they were to Kagome.

His lips set in a firm line, and he carefully packed the lunch again before striding to where Sango sat with her boyfriend, shoving the bento box into her startled hands. "Watch this for me." He ordered curtly, ignoring her indignant expression as he turned towards the school building.

Hojo said he wanted to talk to her in the classroom, and Sesshoumaru knew where each one of her classes were. He'd look in every room to find her if he had to; he wasn't going to let some junior steal his Kagome away from him so easily. Only a couple of minutes had passed; if he ran, he might even catch up to them. He hit the jackpot when he stopped outside her main room, and froze when he realized that Hojo was just starting with his speech.

"Murakami-san…" Hojo hesitated, blushing when Kagome merely stared curiously back at him. "Murakami-san. I know that you are close friends with the Taisho family, and I wouldn't want anything get between your friendship. I also know that, even though you seem pretty unconcerned on the outside, you're a very warm and cheerful person – not apathetic at all!"

"Apathetic?" He heard Kagome ask, sounding a little confused. "Is that really how people see me? Sango said I was too… but, I don't think I am."

"N-no, of course not!" Hojo said quickly. "I know for a fact you a very kind person!"

"Hmm," Kagome sounded more contemplative than impressed by his speech. "Why do you say that? I mean, please don't take this the wrong way, but you don't exactly know me. The only times we've ever hung out was when was with Eri, Yuka, or Ayumi."

"Because you always seem so happy," Hojo said. "When you hang around with Inuyasha-san and Sesshoumaru-sempai, you always seem cheerful and at ease, and in turn you make them cheerful and at ease as well. To be honest, anyone who can make Sesshoumaru-sempai smile has got to be special, right?"

"U-um!" Sesshoumaru gritted his teeth, seeing Kagome blush in his mind. He didn't want anyone else to see his Kagome blush in that cute manner of hers. He reached for the door handle, intent on sliding the door open to interrupt the two when Hojo suddenly burst out his true intent.

"Murakami-san! I like you, please go out with me!"

Sesshoumaru froze at the silence that echoed in the wake of the declaration, holding his breath.

"U-um," Kagome stuttered, sounding a little bashful. "I'm sorry, Hojo. Thank you for thinking of me so strongly but… I cannot go out with you." Sesshoumaru relaxed, letting loose the breath he had been holding. "I like someone else right now."

Sesshoumaru froze, feeling something twist painfully in the vicinity of his chest, and he distantly registered the sound of something shattering, something that perhaps had been hope at one point in time. His hand slid from the door handle, and he stood listlessly for a moment, almost unsure of what he should be doing right now. _She liked someone else._ It was just confirmed. What right did he have to confess his feelings, if they would only be a burden?

Sesshoumaru turned and walked away, ignoring the odd looks he received as other students wandering the halls wondered what a third year was doing on the second floor.*

Kagome fidgeted with her school uniform, the winter jacket, completely blown away by the fact that someone had a crush on her. "I'm… I'm sorry, Hojo-kun." She bowed low, apologetic. "Please forgive me."

When she met his expression again, he had an embarrassed, yet rueful smile on his face. "To be honest, Murakami san, I didn't really think you'd agree to go out with me in the first place."

Tipping her head to the side in confusion, she asked, "Then why ask me in the first place?"

"W-well," he seemed a little awkward at her blunt statements, and scratched the back of his head sheepishly while smiling shyly. "When you love someone, don't you think you ought to at least try? I mean, 'cuz then you'll never know…"

Kagome stared at him, comprehension flooding her, and she realized that he was right. If she liked Sesshoumaru, shouldn't she at least give it a try? Telling him her feelings might ruin their friendship, but wasn't at least trying better than not saying anything at all? To be honest, she wasn't quite sure how much longer she would be able to stay silent about her feelings, and she would prefer to tell him herself rather than one day reaching her breaking point and not be able to be friends with him anymore.

She bowed again, and rose with a bright smile on her face. "Thank you, Hojo-kun!"

She ran out of the room without waiting for his reply, and went straight to the courtyard looking for Sesshoumaru. When she couldn't find him, she frowned when she noticed her bento box beside Sango. "Sango, have you seen Sesshoumaru?"

"Yeah," she huffed, handing her the lunch. "He shoved this at me before running after you and Hojo. When he came back outside, he ignored me and just left! Geez, I don't know what's that guys problem."

He chased after her…? Did that mean he heard what Hojo-kun had said? Blushing, she looked down at the lunch in her hands, wondering if he had heard everything and, if he had, why he ran away. Did it mean that he didn't feel the same way towards her?

"_I like someone else right now."_

Her breath caught in her throat. Could he have misunderstood? Thoughts swirled through her mind, and she wondered if she had the courage to do what she wanted to do… to tell Sesshoumaru how she really felt.

She looked up at Sango, determination in her eyes. "Sango, are you still doing the holiday exchange?"

"Yes, but so far it's just between friends, the rest of the class wasn't really interested." Sango answered, automatically slapping her boyfriend's wandering hands without thought.

"Did Sesshoumaru sign up?"

Sango blinked, and a slow smile spread across her face. "As a matter of fact, I know of a brother who might have slipped his brother's name in the pot."

Kagome forged on, "I know this goes against the rules but… can I have his name?"

Sango winked at her gave a thumbs up. "You betcha."

Kagome waited after school, and Inuyasha came running up to her out of breath. "I'm sorry!" He gasped, bending over and resting his hands on his knees. "I had to stay and clean up sensei's office as punishment for mouthing off in class, and when I called her slave-driver she made me stay late." He straightened, looking around idly as he did so. "Where's Sesshoumaru?"

"I don't know," Kagome was starting to feel worried. "I thought you would know."

"Nope. I haven't seen him since before lunch." Inuyasha was frowning at the school before he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. By the time he was finished he was looking angry, and he grabbed her hand and started pulling her down the street.

"In-Inuyasha?" She asked, gasping a little in surprise. "What are you doing? Let go!"

"Tch," Inuyasha let go of her, only to continue stomping ahead. "That idiot! He needs to at least talk to me about these things before he goes ahead and decides!"

Kagome had to trot to keep up. "What do you mean?"

Inuyasha didn't turn to face her. "He said he's going to study abroad. That the school already approached him about it but he's been putting if off. That idiot! Why now?"

Kagome 'eeped' when Inuyasha stopped abruptly, and she ran straight into his back. He turned on his heel sharply and glared down at her. "Kagome! What happened today? You must have noticed something that made him react like this!"

Eyes widening, Kagome held up her hands in peace, shaking her head. "I know nothing! Geez, Inuyasha, what's wrong with you? Why are you so worked up?"

"Why aren't _you?_" Inuyasha countered, grabbing her shoulders and giving her a little shake. "Don't you like him?"

Kagome froze, staring up at her friend wordlessly. How did he know…? "How… what do you mean?"

"Don't play dumb. You have a crush on him, don't you? Don't you even care that he's leaving?"

"Of… of course I do," she said softly, bringing her hands up to gently grasp Inuyasha's wrists and pull his hands away from her shoulders. "I don't want him to go."

"Then why don't you tell him?" Inuyasha said softly. "You don't understand. Sesshoumaru…"

"What?" She asked worriedly. "What is it?"

"_I'm_ not the one that could never be alone, Kagome." Inuyasha ran a frustrated hand through his hair. "Sesshoumaru's the one with the complex."

"What do you mean?"

"After his mother died, Sesshoumaru couldn't stand being alone. He still hates it. Why do you think I never leave him alone?"

"Well," Kagome cocked his head to the side. "I don't know. I thought it was natural for us to never be apart, but Sango said you had a brother complex."

"Wha?" Inuyasha's mouth dropped. "I like girls!"

"I'm just telling you what she said!" Kagome retorted, leading the way back to their houses.

"You didn't believe her, did you?"

"…"

"Did you?"

…

Sesshoumaru stared down at the picture in his hands, wondering what on earth he was doing. What made him think he could just decide to leave without consulting his parents? Inuyasha didn't sound very happy either. He wondered what Kagome would think when Inuyasha told her that he would be leaving the country. Would she even care?

He knew she would. She wasn't that shallow, or mean spirited not to miss the presence of a friend. She'd have her boyfriend with her to fill up the gaps, wouldn't she? Sighing, he propped the picture on his desk. They had been on a school trip to see the sakura trees, and someone had taken a picture for them. Kagome stood in the middle, smiling happily and dressed in her school uniform, with both Sesshoumaru and Inuyasha on each side; Inuyasha was smirking into the camera, and Sesshoumaru… was looking at Kagome. Luckily two had been taken, and he had given Inuyasha and Kagome the pictures where he was looking at the camera too.

Sighing, he rose and walked to the window, staring up at darkening sky. As he watched, tiny white flakes started to float to the ground. One tiny flake floated down outside his window, and he followed its path down to the ground, and his breath caught in his throat at the image below him.

It wasn't anything out of the ordinary. Kagome stood outside the gates, her hand held up to the sky as if she would be able to catch the snowflakes in the palm of her hand. She had the scarf he had given her the year before wrapped around her throat and mouth, and all he could really see were her blue eyes as they stared up at the sky. In her other hand she held what looked like to be… holly?

As Sesshoumaru wondered what on earth she was doing with a branch of holly, she turned her head slightly and looked right at him, and he could tell by her eyes that she was smiling. She pointed up to the sky as if saying, "Did you see?"

He nodded slightly, and she smiled at him with her eyes again before she started to make his way towards his house. Inuyasha had arrived home from school a short while ago; he wondered if she was here to see him. Surely she wouldn't smile like that after she was told he was leaving, would he?

Yes, apparently, she would, for shortly after she disappeared into the house, she reappeared in front of his bedroom door, smiling shyly as she unwrapped her scarf. "Hi," she said simply, staring up at him.

In response, Sesshoumaru moved out of her way, and watched as she came inside the room. It was almost sad that his parents had no qualms about her coming into his or Inuyasha's bedrooms; they had been friends long enough that it never crossed their minds that one of them might be something more. Perhaps, he thought, because it was true. They _were_ friends, and there was nothing that had ever changed that.

Not even her getting a boyfriend. It may hurt him, but he didn't think he'd be able to shun her because of it, and it was also the reason he felt he had to go away. He would never stop being her friend; but it would also be too painful to watch her with another man.

"Soo," she trailed off, linking her hands behind her back as she rocked back on her heels. He recognized the move; she would always do that whenever she was nervous about what she had to say. "Someone confessed to me today."

Was he supposed to pat her on the back? It might be what she was expecting, but he could only stay silent, unable to get the word 'congratulations' out of his mouth. "I… see."

She smiled, then started walking around his room, pausing in front of his desk. The picture! He cursed himself silently, clenching his fists when her eyes seemed to be riveted on his face. For whatever reason, her shoulders relaxed, as if she was relieved. What did she want?

"He asked me out… but I had to say no." She continued, as if she heard his silent question. "I like someone else, you see. But that someone else eavesdropped on my conversation, and then didn't even have the decency to stay to hear the whole thing, and instead leapt to conclusions. Well, at least that's what I think, anyways."

Sesshoumaru's throat felt tight. He sat down on his bed and rested his elbow on his knee, then dropped his head in his hands. "Kagome, what do you want?"

The mattress dipped down, and he turned his head and stared at Kagome while she stared down at the holly in her hands.

"Do you know the history behind the mistletoe, Sesshoumaru?" When he didn't answer, she continued softly, her eyes still on the branch in her hands. "Druids used mistletoe to celebrate the coming of winter. They used it to decorate their homes. The Scandinavians also thought of mistletoe as a plant of peace and harmony. They associated mistletoe with their goddess of love, Frigga. The custom of kissing under the mistletoe probably derived from this belief."

"Mistletoe had been banned by the church back then, because of its pagan origins, but suggested that everyone use holly instead." She took a deep breath, finally raising her eyes to look at him directly, her eyes so blue and steady. "So instead of mistletoe, I'm going to consider this holly branch as my symbol of peace, harmony, and… love. I'd like to give this to you."

Sesshoumaru's breath caught in his throat, and he could only stare, his eyes wide and mouth slightly open in an undignified expression. Kagome only waited, her smile a little knowing. Sesshoumaru reached out and yanked her close, tucking her head underneath his chin and holding her tightly. Was this for real?

"Kagome," Sesshoumaru murmured, almost afraid to hope. "Do you love me?"

She was smiling. He couldn't see her face, but somehow he _knew_ she was smiling. "Yeah."

Pulling back, he cupped her face in hands and kissed her for the first time. Softly, sweetly, he let them both experience their first kiss in the sweetest way possible.

With love; lots and lots of love.

The next morning Kagome stood outside their front gates, bundled in her winter uniform, smiling down at the layer of snow beneath her feet. She heard two male voices bickering, and her smile widened at the sight of Inuyasha and Sesshoumaru arguing; Inuyasha looked as if he was barely awake. His hair was still tousled from sleep and he was grumbling in between yawns and rubbing his eyes. Sesshoumaru was Sesshoumaru; perfectly poised, without a hair out of place. Only the look in his eyes when he looked at her let her know that he had been just as eager to see her as she was to see him.

"Can you believe this guy, Kagome?" Inuyasha grumbled. "One minute he's planning on moving to the other side of the world, and now he plans to stay here forever. And then he wakes me up at the butt crack of dawn! For what? What's the point of being early to school?"

"For this!" Kagome stood on her tiptoes and kissed Sesshoumaru.

Inuyasha's mouth dropped, and he was silent for almost the entire way to school. Then, before they separated, he smiled softly and ruffled her hair. "It's about time."

Kagome slanted her eyes towards Inuyasha, her smile sly. "So you're not bothered? Brother complex, and all."

"What?" Inuyasha's jaw dropped. "I don't have a brother complex!"

Sesshoumaru looked confused. "Brother Complex? You have a brother complex?"

"No! I like _giiiirls!_"

His frustrated cry echoed through the courtyard, along with Kagome's laughter.

FIN

*No, Inuyasha does not have a brother complex. It was spoken in fun.

1st *: Tonkatsu sandwich (or 'katsu sando'): basically it's a Japanese pork sandwich (made with deep fried pork cutlets), and a yummy one at that. But watch out! If they're made wrong they can be pretty gross.

2nd *: I was told that Japanese schools are much different than American schools. Unlike America, where the high school students are separated into groups such as freshman, sophomore, junior, and senior, Japanese high schools are only three years long, and they separate the students by first, second, or third years. Someone also said that large schools' classes are also split differently. The first floor has all the first years' classes (freshmen), the second floor the second years (juniors), and the seniors are on the third floor, and that juniors rarely go into the seniors territory, since some seniors find it rude, and that seniors also rarely go down into the junior classes. Whether this is true or not I have no idea, so please accept any mistakes and move on.


End file.
